On Thursday, Slovenia banned the import, export, and transit of arms and military equipment to and from Israel, becoming the first EU country to take such action, News.Az informs via JURISTnews.
According to Prime Minister Robert Golob, the grave human rights violations taking place in the region obligate other states to comply with provisions of international law and act, even if “this means taking a step for others.” In his statement, Prime Minister Golob criticized the EU’s failure to reach a decision and take unified action regarding arms trade with Israel, owing to disunity and internal disagreements amongst the member states. Despite several warnings and deadlines from Ljubljana, the Union was unable to come to a unified consensus, forcing Slovenia to act independently.
EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, governed by Articles 21 to 31 of the Treaty on European Union, requires unanimity for decisions of such nature, rendering an arms embargo on Israel nearly impossible. Many countries, such as Hungary, have opposed a ban, citing Israel’s right to self-defense and strategic ties with EU member countries.
Under international criminal law, the supply of arms to a party conducting widespread violations of humanitarian law can be considered as aiding war crimes or crimes against humanity. Particularly, Article 30 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court stipulates that individuals may be criminally responsible if they are aware of the consequences that will occur “in the ordinary course of events.”
Slovenia’s move may set a precedent for other EU nations, testing the limits of European unity and international accountability in the face of protracted conflict.
